Diagnostic Accuracy and Errors

In a review of seven large series totaling 18,183 thyroid FNAs, Gharib and Goellner found that the biopsy technique had a sensitivity rate varying from 65 to 98% (mean 83%), and that its specificity rate varied from 72 to 100% (mean 92%) 15. The false-negative rate varied from 1 to 11.5% (mean, 5.2%), and the false-positive rate varied from 0 to 7.7% (mean, 2.9%). The overall cytodiagnostic accuracy rate of thyroid FNA approached 95% according to some reported series.